4/17/12

Ok, so I promised some more information about the Crossbow project today. Here’s what we learned… um, it is going to be a very long vehicle. Yeah, that’s about it. We didn’t see anything that made us say, “Oh, there’s why it won't work!” I still think it is viable but I'm now a little more excited about Lil' Wiggly than the Crossbow. Of course once Lil' Wiggly is out of the main bay of the shop, I'll probably drag that FV frame inside and have a more serious look at it. It has a bit of a twist to it which I otter straighten, but I'm not sure if I will. It is maybe a ¼” out of whack. On a four wheeler it would make more difference; but with a tripod it really kind of doesn’t. I suppose we’ll take some long 2x4s and have a go at un-twisting the frame and if it doesn’t work, no harm done. I'll bet that if I were to park Fifi on the trailer ramps across the ass end of the Vee frame, and then took a floor jack and a 2x4 to the front of the frame, I could un-twist it enough for the girls I date. I won't do all of that of course, but I'll bet it would work. Now, when I told Gregg about this idea, he suggested a Reynard Formula Continental that is gathering dust at AUTOCOMP instead of the Vee frame. Having looked at the Vee, I'm beginning to think that might not be the worst idea in the world. Of course that would lose the flat nose of the VW suspension and render the Crossbow name moo, but we could burn that bridge when we come to it. Zooking up our own frame has been suggested as well. I ain’t skeert of that, but I just don’t really want to go to that much trouble. No, I think this abomination otter be on the Vee frame, if for no other reason than: I have it. Sitting here, thirty miles away from the scary-assed thing, it doesn’t seem that bad. I think it will be ok. I saw a single VW carburetor manifold for a Goldwing on e-Bay the other day but didn’t feel like blowing $270.00 on it just yet. I have the Weber ICT carburetor to put on it… but not the $270.00 to buy it. Besides, I think a dual ICT setup would be better. Ok, maybe “better” isn’t the right word… how about “cooler”? Yeah, that seems more like what I meant to say. I need to weigh the ROI of having the stock carburetors rebuilt versus… well, any other setup, before making a decision. Psh, I need to build the damned vehicle before even thinking about how I'm going to feed it, actually. Ok, I don’t NEED to build the thing at all. I know that, but… shut up. Anyhoo, what I really otter do is put this, Herman the Slowster, and the Spit’ on the back burner until I finish George and the Chickenhawk. Ok, here’s how it otter go down. When Lil' Wiggly goes home, we otter roll George in the main bay and finish him up. When that car goes… wherever, we otter roll the Chickenhawk in and get it rebuilt. Once THOSE two are done, then I can start working on one of the others. I was going to say “Non-Datsuns” but remembered at the last moment that Herman is, in fact, a Datsun. So, I guess to be true to my chosen brand, once the Chickenhawk leaves the bay we otter roll Herman in and get cracking on project Slowster. Speaking of the Slowster, I think I've decided that the Z-20 will go in the Spit’ leaving the single DCOE and header available for the A-12 in Herman. I asked John his thoughts on that idea and he said, “Why not?” Of course he followed up with, “Then what are we going to do with the ‘extra’ A-14 and five-speed?” I said we could always use the tranny in Lil' Wiggly and just hang on to the engine. Now, having said all of that, I ain’t agin’ putting an A-14 in Herman, but it kind of flies in the face of the Slowster idea. I do not think that car deserves a five speed though… unless it was the dog-leg out of George! No, no, no, no! Herman will have a four speed and, moist likely, an A-12. George will keep the dog-leg five-speed. Lil' Wiggly may get the “extra” straight-pattern five speed eventually, but don’t hold your breath. And I think that is all the A-series car I have planned. Oh, of course The Seven will keep its straight-pattern five-speed as well. The Chickenhawk is slated to have a KA-24, the Spit’, as I just said, will have the Z-20, and the Crossbow will have the Goldwing donk. Fifi and Fiona won't be getting different engines as long as I own them, and I think that covers all the cars I plan to keep in the stable. I'm dumb.